Hot Chocolate
by bowtied
Summary: Raven doesn't mind the cold. But Beast Boy thinks she could use some warming up. Winter-y BB/Rae fluff.


_**trip ~ **_Okay, well, this is clearly very out of season, I know, but this is an old one-shot I wrote four or five years ago for a close friend. The writing bug's been biting me, so I decided, for now, I'd touch this up and publish it, because I never got around to doing so. Just some pointless, plot-less BB/Rae fluff for your fangirling pleasure! Both are very OOC, so, uh, deal with it? Enjoy! Or don't. I don't care.

I don't own TT, or DC Comics, or anything really. In case you were wondering.

_"Love is like swallowing hot chocolate before it has cooled off. It takes you by surprise at first, but keeps you warm for a long time."_

_-Anonymous_

**_Hot Chocolate~_**

Raven did an excellent job of ignoring the cold breeze. Any normal person probably would've froze to death, but, the cold never bothered her. And the falling snowflakes were simply nonexistent in her realm of meditation.

The other Titans disturbing her peace and quiet did make her blood boil, though. They were far worse than any cold air or snow.

They were already in the "joyful holiday mood," as Starfire had put it. They'd decorated the entire tower, put up a Christmas tree and there always seemed to be festive music playing at the loudest possible volume.

So now, she was here, on top of the tower, meditating. She had to escape them somehow. Not even the confides of her room were safe from them. This seemed to be the only place they'd leave her in peace.

Raven never learned to appreciate Earth holidays. Starfire had easily adapted, but anyone - even an idiot - could tell the difference between her and Starfire. She'd never been cheerful or festive. Her privacy was the only thing she really appreciated. Stealing time for meditation was the only thing that kept her happy. While Beast Boy and Cyborg loved playing their mindless video games, she preferred to take matters seriously. Only Robin really seemed to understand that, but sometimes, even he got on her nerves.

Her thought bubble burst when she heard small, hesitant footsteps drawing near.

Raven's ears quickly detected the sound, but she kept her eyes shut. Whichever Titan it was, they'd get the idea. Raven was _never_ to be disturbed during her meditation; the rule was so often broken, yet, all four of her teammates knew not to provoke her wrath.

"Raven," the familiar voice rang in her ears, and Raven's eyes narrowed behind their eyelids.

Of course it was Beast Boy. He was the only one on the team that just didn't get it. At least Starfire knew when to just leave her alone. Beast Boy never knew how to take a hint. He was always knocking on her door and trying to pull her into dumb group activities.

Solitude was the only thing precious to Raven. And his mission in life seemed to be robbing her of solitude. No matter how many times she snapped at him or rejected him, he just kept coming back, just like the lost puppy he loved to shift into.

"What?" she snapped. She kept her eyes shut as she floated. Despite the hostility dripping from her tone, she would remain calm, she wouldn't break her trance; she would **not** give Beast Boy the satisfaction.

The wind blew and she heard him shiver. No matter what anyone said, the cold didn't bother her, not at all. ...Well, warmer weather wouldn't be a bad thing, but the cold was manageable. She could handle it, and she'd never dream of admitting otherwise, especially to Beast Boy. Her skin was much tougher than her teammates;' they'd retreated to the safety of the tower as soon the temperature dropped below freezing. None of them were winter people, preferring the warmth of summer. She alone tolerated the cold.

With that in mind, Raven couldn't help her curiosity. She knew full well how much Beast Boy hated the cold.

Why was he wasting his time out here, especially when the others were probably partying inside?

"It's pretty cold out here," he finally replied. He stated the obvious; it was a step up from his usual stupid talk, but it still annoyed her. If he wasn't going to make meaningful conversation, he should leave her alone.

"So, why are you here then?" One of her eyes peaked upon, and Raven wanted to throttle her green teammate. There went her concentration.

"I just thought you might want this."

Raven turned in mid air to face him.

Beast Boy had a cup in his hand. She could tell it was warm just by glancing at it. And he was offering it to her? Normally, Beast Boy's attempts at reaching out to her made her cringe and sigh in pure irritation. But, this was a little different.

She raised an eyebrow and was hesitant to take the cup from his hand.

"It's hot chocolate," Beast Boy explained with a smile, that small, sharp tooth showing, like it always did. "Just try it. It's pretty tasty."

Raven's feet came to the floor, all hope of meditation abandoned. She stepped forward, reached out her hand and took the cup from him. It was definitely warm. Slowly she brought the cup to her lips. Raven was hesitant, paranoid that this was one of Beast Boy's pranks; could she be blamed?

She was ready to reject the drink based on that concern, but Beast Boy's smile was genuine as he nodded excitedly, urging her to take a sip. Raven let out a sigh, rolled her eyes, and then finally took a sip.

The drink was delicious.

The hot chocolate warmed up her mouth and she sighed again, this time pleasantly, as the liquid slid down her throat. Raven couldn't help but smile. But then, she began to wonder why Beast Boy had come all the way up here to offer her hot chocolate. It wasn't like she was particularly kind or outgoing to him, so why show her this unusual kindness?

"Thanks..." Raven started, a little hesitant with her words. Her thank you caused Beast Boy to beam, like a child on Christmas -or so she believed that was the correct analogy. "But, why did you come up here?"

The changling shrugged, but his smile didn't fade away.

"I just thought if you didn't want to come and enjoy the party, you'd at least want some hot chocolate," Beast Boy replied, a little nervously. Raven could tell he was a little on edge, and she could understand why; it wasn't like she made it easy for him. Still, even if his usual antics drove her to insanity, she couldn't help but appreciate this gesture. It was mature of him, kind and understanding. This was a side of him she enjoyed.

Raven took another sip of the drink, and the heat brought a red warmth to her cheeks, much to his chagrin. Showing any emotion had proven difficult for her, but she forced a small, grateful smile to her face. Hopefully this was enough for him.

"That's nice of you," she said. She tried her best to sound caring and sincere and judging by the brightened look on his face, she assumed she'd done something right. "You're a good friend."

"Aw shucks; thanks Raven," he laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. Suddenly, Beast Boy felt awkward in his own skin, and the cold breeze blew again; even in his suit, he felt goosebumps forming on his green skin. Wanting to leave Raven to her thoughts, the green hero turned on his heels. "I'll leave you alone now; you probably want to get back to meditating."

Beast Boy waved to her before walking towards the roof's door.

Raven had to admit, his actions today were confusing her. Normally, he stuck near her like glue as much as possible. He always continued to beg her to join the others when they were doing something "fun." Perhaps he'd finally realized that it was best to leave her alone. And for some reason, that bugged Raven more than his usual antics did. Just when he began to leave her alone, she was missing him...how annoying of her.

Deciding not to let him get away, she floated off after him and came to his side. Beast Boy rose an eyebrow at her, clearly surprised. Feeling somewhat confident, she reached forward with her free hand and took his.

"Maybe I could help you put up more decorations?" Raven suggested, with a bright brush on her pale cheeks.

Beast Boy stuttered, obviously caught off guard. He watched her curiously, afraid of speaking. A long moment of silence passed between them and Raven began to feel stupid, fearing she'd gone too far.

Suddenly, she felt something warm press against her cheek. Her dark eyes widened in surprise as she realized Beast Boy had quickly kissed her cheek. "That sounds like fun," he finally replied, a blush as bright as hers on his green face.

As they made their way back into the tower, Raven took another sip of the hot chocolate Beast Boy had given her. She wasn't sure what to make of everything; how she thought of Beast Boy was far from clear, but, he'd definitely changed her mind about something. She wasn't as tolerant of the cold as she'd thought she was; she quite liked being warm.


End file.
